Combination fitting for gas dispensing systems



1937- L. J..WH1TE 2,098,119

COMBINATION FITTING FOR GAS DISPENSING SYSTEMS:

Filed Oct. 19, 1936 Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES COMBINATION FITTINGFOR GAS DISPENS- ING SYSTEMS Loyd J. White, San Antonio, 'lex., minor to Southern Steel Company, a corporation of Texas Application October 19, 1936, Serial No. 106,461

I Claims.

This invention relates to liquefied gas dispensing apparatus and, among other objects, aims to provide important improvements in the gas fitting's primarily designed for use as a part of the 5 dispensing and controlling equipment in a liquefied petroleum gas system wherein a high pressure storage tank is employed. More particularly, the invention provides a novel combination valve fitting and service T to be connected directly to a dispensing conduit or nipple leading from a tank to a pressure regulator and constituting a part of the equipment which is usually arranged in a. protecting casing or housing on the tank and partially buried in the ground. The main idea is to provide a relatively simple, compact, inexpensive and light weight combination valve unit and service T which can be installed very easily and quickly in a dispensing system and which minimizes leaks by eliminating a number of joints.

This application involves improvements in the dispensing equipment disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 98,048 filed August 26, 1936.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein: 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the improved fitting applied to a liquefied so petroleum gas dispensing system; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the fitting shown in Fig. l and drawn on an enlarged scale.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the improved fitting is shown as being applied to the dispensing equipment connected to a storage tank It! and is arranged in a protecting casing H, the

storage tank and casing being adapted to be buried in the ground. The tank is shown as having a standpipe l2 within which is arranged a dip tube l3 projecting into the tank to the desired liquid level and, within the tube, there is arranged a slip tube gauge i4. Near the upper end of the standpipe there is shown a valved filling tube l5 which is identical with that shown in the aforesaid copending application. Also, a nipple or pipe I6 is shown as being welded to the upper end portion of the standpipe for delivering gas from the tank. All of said apparatus is like that shown in said copending application.

In this example, the'improved combination fitting in the form of an enlarged T having a unitary casing I! connected to the nipple l6 by means of an inlet branch i8. It has a vertical vent 5 branch I! connected to a vent pipe 20 and a lower dispensing branch 2| having a coupling 22 and nipple 23 which is adapted to be connected to the pressure regulator24. The low pressure side of the pressure regulator 24 is connected to the service main 25. Referring again to the fitting, it is shown as having a spring loaded, safety relief valve 26 in the vent branch l9 normally seated on a seat 21 and a conduit 28 leads upwardly from an inlet conduit 29 in the branch It. The arrangement is such that excess pressure in the tank will cause the relief valve to open and the high pressure gas will be discharged through the vent pipe 20. The fitting also has a. conduit 30 leading to a valve chamber 31 which carries a cut-ofi valve 32 arranged in a hollow boss 33 and having a hand wheel 34 so that the gas may be cut oil by hand when the dispensingsystem is not to be used. However, the arrangement is such that the safety relief valve will still function .to prevent excess pressure from developing in the storage tank. The gas passes through the valve chamber into a cored conduit 35 which communicates with a chamber 36 carrying an adjustable excess flow checkvalve having a spring urged ball 31 normally held open against an adjustable stop 38 carried in a. hollow boss 39. It is contemplated that this check valve may be used as a service cut-off valve. From the chamber 36 the gas passes between the ball and its seat 59 through the spring chamber 4| into a vertical cored c0nduit 42 communicating with the nipple 23. Thence, the gas is delivered through the usual high pressure regulator and passes out from the low pressure side thereof through the service main 25.

The particular construction and details of the safety relief valve, the cut-ofi valve and the excess flow check valve are not claimed herein. They may be, and preferably are, of well known types. One of the very important features of the present invention resides in the fact that the combination fitting provides a service T which can be'connected directly to the dispensing nippie and all of the valves are arranged in it so that several joints in the service line which are apt to leak are eliminated. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that the single unit may be very quickly applied to a. system and thereby save considerable time in the assembly. Moreover, it weighs much less than a series of separate fittings and avoids difliculties caused by mis-alinement of such fittings. In fact, the combination unit may be applied to the dispensing nipple and the nipple 23 of the union coupling screwed into the high pressure side of the pressure regulator casing; then these two parts may easily be assembled within the casing H or removed from the casing in case of repairs. Thus, all of the dispensing equipment may be quickly removed for repairs and replacement. Obviously, the combination fitting may be manufactured very cheaply because it is embodied in a single cored and drilled casting or casing.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a gas conduit communicating with a storage tank, a combination valve fitting and service I having one branch connected to said conduit; a vent branch carrying a safety relief valve discharging to the atmosphere; and a service branch carrying an excess fiow check valve.

2. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a gas conduit communicating with a storage tank, a unitary T-shaped fitting having one branch connected to said conduit; a safety relief valve in another branch of said fitting discharging to the atmosphere; and, a

cut-ofi valve and an excess fiow check valve in the remaining branch of said fitting.

3. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a gas conduit communicating with a storage tank, a combination valve fitting and service T having one branch connected to said conduit; a vent branch carrying a safety relief valve; a service branch carrying an adjustable excess fiow check valve; and means for connecting said service branch to a pressure regulator.

4. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a standpipe connected to a storage tank and a lateral service nipple on the standpipe; a combination fitting in the form of a service T comprising a horizontal branch connected to said lateral nipple; an upper vertical vent branch carrying a safety relief valve; a lower vertical service branch carrying an excess fiow check valve and means for connecting said lower branch to a pressure regulator.

5. As an article of manufacture, a combination valve fitting for liquefied petroleum gas dispensing systems and the like, comprising a unitary T-shaped casing having a gas inlet branch to be connected to a gas delivering conduit; a vent branch carrying a safety relief valve; an outlet branch carrying an excess fiow check valve; and a manually operable cut-oil valve in the casing between the vent branch and said excess fiow check valve.

LOYD J. WHITE. 

